During the Ocala City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, council members executed and approved a formal contract appointing William Sexton as the city’s new in-house legal counsel.
Council members had previously voted to appoint Sexton as the new City Attorney during a special meeting that was held on September 1, 2022.
The City Attorney serves as the chief legal advisor to the City Council, the City Manager, and all city departments, offices, and agencies, pursuant to the Ocala City Charter. As the City Attorney, Sexton will also represent the City of Ocala in all legal proceedings.
Sexton has plenty of experience representing local governments in Florida. Prior to his appointment as City Attorney, he served for over nine years as the in-house County Attorney for the Board of County Commissioners of Bradford County. He has also worked in private practice representing numerous cities and counties throughout the Sunshine State.
Sexton earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history and his Juris Doctor – with an Environmental and Land Use Law Certificate – from the University of Florida. While at the University of Florida, he was inducted into Florida Blue Key and the University of Florida Hall of Fame.
A member of the Florida Bar, Sexton is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.